Success is Creating Your Community

There are a lot of villages out there and baby boomers are flocking to them to find — or create — a community that fits their lifestyle.

The cultures of these villages are as varied as the locations.

The biggest such village in the world is right here in sunny Florida. It’s website boasts that The Villages is a 100,000-plus member gated community for ages 55 and over. Having developed over the past 30 years, it dubs itself as “the premier active adult community” in a “warm, secure and friendly hometown” that is “fun and affordable.” All this and it’s “just a golf-cart ride away.”

To some this lifestyle may seem like paradise; to others such corporate-owned master-planned communities may appear artificial and contrived. Some of the other less-hyped villages are more sedate. For example, a number of these are modeled after the Beacon Hill Village in Boston, MA.

Villages of this genre are typically member-driven organizations for area residents 50 and over, providing programs and services so members can lead “vibrant, active and healthy lives, while living in their own homes and neighborhoods.”

According to its website, Beacon Hill Village membership benefits include “access to discounted providers who can help you manage your household, stay active and healthy, and serve your driving needs. Our social and cultural programs are always changing to support member interests.”

The central considerations for us all revolve around the amenities we want as we pass through our various stages of life.

It should be noted that certain criteria are desired by all ages: respect, inclusion, good health care, reliable transportation options, walkability, along with a sense of community/caring

What do you, personally, want as you transition into the next stage of your life?

Share your thoughts and aspirations with us.

The time to connect, learn, share, evolve and strengthen is now. We will all be beneficiaries of our work.

“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” William Shakespeare

Ready to start? After all, the future is now!

Update: Click here to read about the latest boomer-inspired community by Jimmy Buffett – Latitude Margaritavillewhere you can immerse yourself in the Disneyesque-themed fantasy land.